Jan Jakob Lodewijk ten Kate

It was his friend, Dr Heldring, pastor at Hemmen, in Gelderland, who, discovering in Ten Kate the germs of poetical genius, enabled him to study theology at the University of Utrecht (1838–43).

[2] Having completed his studies, Ten Kate became pastor at Middelburg, Amsterdam, and other places, meanwhile developing well-nigh ceaseless activity, both in prose and lyric poetry.

These poems certainly show a masterly grasp of his mother tongue and a wonderful facility of expression, coupled with graceful vigour and fertile fancy.

[2] He had not only an extraordinary aptitude for learning alien idioms, but also the gift of translating foreign lyrics into clear, fluent and beautiful Dutch verse.

Ten Kate's versatility in this respect has never been equalled; it extended from Tasso and Andersen to Dante, Schiller, Victor Hugo, Milton, Tennyson and Longfellow.